In the past, physicians have tried administering albumin to hypoalbuminemic patients in hopes of causing a diuresis. Now, many physicians administer mixtures of furosemide and albumin to patients with hypoalbuminemia caused by either nephrotic syndrome or severe cirrhosis. This mode of therapy has never been tested in a controlled trial and therefore needs formal testing. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of an infusion of albumin on the response to a loop diuretic and whether response differs according to serum albumin concentration in patients with cirrhosis.